H&K...poor value for dictators..?
There's an online publication called Minivan News. You might be surprised to hear, however, that it's not where you'd go to pick up all the latest on the smaller end of the four-wheeled load carrier market, but where you'd go to get independent news on the Maldives. Odd that.
Anyway, it comes to my attention for its rather critical look at the work Hill & Knowlton's London office has been doing for President Gayoom, leader (some say brutal dictator) of the island paradise and honeymoon destination of millions.
Apparently, "after two years of service to the government, they [H&K] are yet to garner any positive press coverage for Gayoom, who is still derided in the British media as a tin-pot autocrat." Maybe, sometimes, you just can't polish a turd.
What's funny though is not that the article questions whether H&K, ethically, should be involved with such a regime, but "whether President Gayoom is getting good value for money from his PR firm" (H&K are taking, the article claims, a "whopping" £13,000 a month of Maldavian taxpayers' money).
Strikes me that when you're dealing with a brutal dictator like Gayoom, a less than positive campaign review might have slightly more serious consequences than you're used to. Tim Fallon Practice Head for Corporate Affairs at H&K London (and specialist in "working with commercial and international organisations on national and global reputation issues") is pictured looking suitably nervous...
06 October 2006
05 October 2006
Like advertising but free, right..?
And they say Americans don't do irony. This from PRWeek's US edition:
NEW YORK: The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) has hired GolinHarris to provide PR support for the advertising industry.
Kipp Cheng, VP and director of public affairs for the 4As, said Golin was brought on not to promote the organization specifically, but the advertising industry and its members at large.
"There are great agencies out there, trends, an undiscovered guru everybody within the industry knows about," but the general public might not, Cheng explained.
I can only presume that Golin is planning on doing a really, really bad job.
And they say Americans don't do irony. This from PRWeek's US edition:
NEW YORK: The American Association of Advertising Agencies (4As) has hired GolinHarris to provide PR support for the advertising industry.
Kipp Cheng, VP and director of public affairs for the 4As, said Golin was brought on not to promote the organization specifically, but the advertising industry and its members at large.
"There are great agencies out there, trends, an undiscovered guru everybody within the industry knows about," but the general public might not, Cheng explained.
I can only presume that Golin is planning on doing a really, really bad job.
From the ridiculous to the sublime...
Hot on the heels of Peter Bartram's epic three volume tome on organising a press lunch - sorry, 168-page book on writing a press release - comes news of another new publication. The excellent Fullrun (you'll need a subscription - so get one!) tells us that UK tech blog Godfather Antony Mayfield (you know, the one that worked at Harvard and then "did a Scoble") has published a book called "What is Social Media?"
"Crikey me", I hear you cry, "if Bartram needs that much paper to cover press releases - and even then having forgotten more than anyone else knows about the subject, according to Mark Westaby - old Mayfield must be clearing a couple of rain forests to get through social media..."
Umm, no, not really. He's done the lot in just 33 pages.
That's the spirit. Or is it just a really small font? See for yourself - download it here.
Hot on the heels of Peter Bartram's epic three volume tome on organising a press lunch - sorry, 168-page book on writing a press release - comes news of another new publication. The excellent Fullrun (you'll need a subscription - so get one!) tells us that UK tech blog Godfather Antony Mayfield (you know, the one that worked at Harvard and then "did a Scoble") has published a book called "What is Social Media?"
"Crikey me", I hear you cry, "if Bartram needs that much paper to cover press releases - and even then having forgotten more than anyone else knows about the subject, according to Mark Westaby - old Mayfield must be clearing a couple of rain forests to get through social media..."
Umm, no, not really. He's done the lot in just 33 pages.
That's the spirit. Or is it just a really small font? See for yourself - download it here.
03 October 2006
PR Week welches…
Anyone remember this little exchange from our comments a few weeks back?
PRWeek said...
Never a magazine to let its most avid and committed readers down we’d love to invite the mysterious World’s Leading… blogger to the world’s leading PR awards in the UK. A couple of questions – to whom do we address the invitation? And how will we recognise you when you turn up?
Also, do you have any allergies?
2:55 PM
....the world's leading.... said...
How very kind of you...don't worry about posting it - just leave it marked to The World's Leading behind reception down there at Haymarket Publishing and we'll have someone pick it up...let us know when is convenient.
We'll be wearing a dinner suit...or pehaps a frock. It's so difficult to decide.
No special dietary requirements.
3:33 PM
Well, it’s taken us a few weeks, but this morning we sent our trusty messenger down to 174 Hammersmith Road…into the reception of Haymarket Publishing…and guess what? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Absolutely bugger all in the way of small packages for The World’s Leading.
How very disappointing.
Anything to say, PR Week?
Anyone remember this little exchange from our comments a few weeks back?
PRWeek said...
Never a magazine to let its most avid and committed readers down we’d love to invite the mysterious World’s Leading… blogger to the world’s leading PR awards in the UK. A couple of questions – to whom do we address the invitation? And how will we recognise you when you turn up?
Also, do you have any allergies?
2:55 PM
....the world's leading.... said...
How very kind of you...don't worry about posting it - just leave it marked to The World's Leading behind reception down there at Haymarket Publishing and we'll have someone pick it up...let us know when is convenient.
We'll be wearing a dinner suit...or pehaps a frock. It's so difficult to decide.
No special dietary requirements.
3:33 PM
Well, it’s taken us a few weeks, but this morning we sent our trusty messenger down to 174 Hammersmith Road…into the reception of Haymarket Publishing…and guess what? Nothing. Nada. Zip. Absolutely bugger all in the way of small packages for The World’s Leading.
How very disappointing.
Anything to say, PR Week?
Old tricks for news dogs…
I always thought that one of the golden rules of press release writing was brevity. How then can a book called “How to write the perfect press release” run to 168 pages?
But it does. It’s written by Peter Bartram and is yours for the measly sum of £12.95. Something of a bargain, I’m sure you’ll agree, for discovering the secrets of this (increasingly irrelevant) art form. Rather like paying a tenner to find out how to make a telephone out of two old baked bean cans and a piece of string.
As Peter tells us in his email pitching the book, he’s surveyed a whole 89 journalists about their attitude to press releases. He says “You’d be staggered to learn how many press releases the 89 receive each week – 1,000? 5,000? 10,000? The answer’s in the book…”
The answer’s in the first chapter which you can read free on the website.
And what is the staggering number? Umm…215, on average.
I always thought that one of the golden rules of press release writing was brevity. How then can a book called “How to write the perfect press release” run to 168 pages?
But it does. It’s written by Peter Bartram and is yours for the measly sum of £12.95. Something of a bargain, I’m sure you’ll agree, for discovering the secrets of this (increasingly irrelevant) art form. Rather like paying a tenner to find out how to make a telephone out of two old baked bean cans and a piece of string.
As Peter tells us in his email pitching the book, he’s surveyed a whole 89 journalists about their attitude to press releases. He says “You’d be staggered to learn how many press releases the 89 receive each week – 1,000? 5,000? 10,000? The answer’s in the book…”
The answer’s in the first chapter which you can read free on the website.
And what is the staggering number? Umm…215, on average.
Have a gander...
As regular listeners will know, we’re not in the habit of plugging PR companies…but so outraged were we at the underhand behaviour of that nasty piece of work from Borkowski that when we receive yet more endorsements of the great work of the team at Golden Goose PR, we feel the need to pass them on (plus, it sounds like like they organise some great parties, and we might get invited if we’re nice…).
This came from Louise Hannah at the Mail on Sunday:
Emily Maddick (the showbiz reporter for the Mail on Sunday) and I both went along together last night and spoke this morning about what a great time we had. In fact we bumped into Esther from the Standard and Andy from GQ for the first time in ages in the foyer where we had a drink and a catch up.
I think there are a few of us in this email who wouldn't have come along to the Supperclub last night had it not been organised by the Geese. It can sometimes be hard to persuade diary/showbiz journos to attend a late event on a Thursday night at the end of the week, but loyalty to Miki, Laura, Laura Lou and Cleo probably persuaded us otherwise. Tamsin, I had a fabulous time last night and look forward to a long term relationship with you and securing you some great coverage in the column.
Crumbs, that’s nice. And then her colleague Emily Maddick, Showbusiness Reporter at The Mail On Sunday:
I am glad my lovely colleague Louise mentioned me in her email to everybody. As she said, I too was at the Supper Club at Cafe De Paris last night. As my message in the visitor book from last night says, I was bowled over by the fantastic job the Golden Geese did for the evening. As ever their extraordinary combination of limitless energy, fantastic contacts and shrewd PR sense provided a not only enjoyable, but successful evening in my opinion.
As the Showbusiness News Reporter for The Mail on Sunday, it is very rare that PR companies like me to come along to their events(!) as I am limited in returning favours with plugs. However I can honestly say that Golden Goose PR never fail to help me out and continue to invite me to all their impeccably organised parties. They even once organised for the entire News Room at The Mail On Sunday to come to an event, so I think their contacts are pretty good...
It saddens me to think that people could be so ungenerous in their opinions when it is clear to everybody I meet that Laura, Miki, Laura Lou and Cleo do a fantastic job and work tirelessly to achieve fantastic results – why else would they be nominated as PR company of the year?
I am glad that all my other peers in the Press share my opinion....
Goodness me…and Esther Walker who write the Londoner’s Diary for the Evening Standard…
I agree with every word said here in Golden Goose's favour - they are truly a wonderful company and lovely girls individually.
It only remains for me to say that if only more PR companies operated the way that the Geese do, my life would be much easier.
It certainly sounds to us like the Golden Goose team has got more than half a decent chance of picking up the PR Week gong for best new consultancy…even if self-proclaimed PR Guru Stuart Bruce doesn’t seem to know who they are…or appreciate what they do.
Perhaps he’s got a clue now…but I wouldn’t guarantee it.
As regular listeners will know, we’re not in the habit of plugging PR companies…but so outraged were we at the underhand behaviour of that nasty piece of work from Borkowski that when we receive yet more endorsements of the great work of the team at Golden Goose PR, we feel the need to pass them on (plus, it sounds like like they organise some great parties, and we might get invited if we’re nice…).
This came from Louise Hannah at the Mail on Sunday:
Emily Maddick (the showbiz reporter for the Mail on Sunday) and I both went along together last night and spoke this morning about what a great time we had. In fact we bumped into Esther from the Standard and Andy from GQ for the first time in ages in the foyer where we had a drink and a catch up.
I think there are a few of us in this email who wouldn't have come along to the Supperclub last night had it not been organised by the Geese. It can sometimes be hard to persuade diary/showbiz journos to attend a late event on a Thursday night at the end of the week, but loyalty to Miki, Laura, Laura Lou and Cleo probably persuaded us otherwise. Tamsin, I had a fabulous time last night and look forward to a long term relationship with you and securing you some great coverage in the column.
Crumbs, that’s nice. And then her colleague Emily Maddick, Showbusiness Reporter at The Mail On Sunday:
I am glad my lovely colleague Louise mentioned me in her email to everybody. As she said, I too was at the Supper Club at Cafe De Paris last night. As my message in the visitor book from last night says, I was bowled over by the fantastic job the Golden Geese did for the evening. As ever their extraordinary combination of limitless energy, fantastic contacts and shrewd PR sense provided a not only enjoyable, but successful evening in my opinion.
As the Showbusiness News Reporter for The Mail on Sunday, it is very rare that PR companies like me to come along to their events(!) as I am limited in returning favours with plugs. However I can honestly say that Golden Goose PR never fail to help me out and continue to invite me to all their impeccably organised parties. They even once organised for the entire News Room at The Mail On Sunday to come to an event, so I think their contacts are pretty good...
It saddens me to think that people could be so ungenerous in their opinions when it is clear to everybody I meet that Laura, Miki, Laura Lou and Cleo do a fantastic job and work tirelessly to achieve fantastic results – why else would they be nominated as PR company of the year?
I am glad that all my other peers in the Press share my opinion....
Goodness me…and Esther Walker who write the Londoner’s Diary for the Evening Standard…
I agree with every word said here in Golden Goose's favour - they are truly a wonderful company and lovely girls individually.
It only remains for me to say that if only more PR companies operated the way that the Geese do, my life would be much easier.
It certainly sounds to us like the Golden Goose team has got more than half a decent chance of picking up the PR Week gong for best new consultancy…even if self-proclaimed PR Guru Stuart Bruce doesn’t seem to know who they are…or appreciate what they do.
Perhaps he’s got a clue now…but I wouldn’t guarantee it.
29 September 2006
Wild Geese…
Goose: beautiful, elegant creature…but make it angry and it’ll have your eyes out. Just ask Adrienne Merrill, Business Development Director at Borkowski PR.
Adrienne, you see, used to do a bit of freelance work for ‘Tamsin’, who is now – as head honcho of The Supper Club (which we think is this) - a client of consumer PR shop Golden Goose (which, we note, is nominated in the best new consultancy category at the PR Week Awards).
Following things so far? So here we go…it’s a bit of a long one, but it’s Friday afternoon and you’ve got nothing else on, right?
OK, so Golden Goose organised a press event for The Supper Club last night, and Adrienne went along. Today, she decided to email her ex-client Tamsin telling her what she thought of the event and, in particular, Golden Goose. This is what she said (under the email title, “Great fun!”):
We all had such a great time last night, fantastic entertainment & drinks and music by the DJ was brilliant – we all danced until out feet hurt!!!
As for the PR from Golden Goose – well - the celebrity attendance was what……zero? Oh no, let me think now, oh yes Syed (the one that didn't even come second in what was that show, The Apprentice?) he was there.
And journalists, well now, I did have a pretty full house crack team of publicists with me try as we might to spot one, well I think it was what…zero? Oh, no, wrong again, Chris Sullivan was there. He did let slip to me though that he only popped in to see Mick (the lovely promoter) and he's not exactly a target writer for the Supper Club.
We all make mistakes.
Addi xxx
Which isn’t very nice is it? You might event think she was doing it to try and pinch Golden Goose’s client. Which then doesn’t make it a very good idea to copy the email to a member of the Golden Goose team…who, understandably, felt the need to forward it to her boss and Golden Goose joint-MD Miki Watson.
Miki gives Adrienne both barrels:
Dear Adrienne,
We're delighted that you enjoyed last night's Supper Club party; it was fabulous wasn't it!
I'm terribly sorry that you obviously don't know your media well enough to recognise some of the UK's most influential press by face. We were looking after Esther Walker from the Evening Standard, arranging a photograph feature for Karen Stretch at the Mail on Sunday Live Magazine, introducing some of our guests to Louise Hannah from the Mail on Sunday, arranging a 'date' with one of the country's most well known jockeys that is being written about by Katie Hind in the London Lite and entertaining the GQ editorial team who are writing about Tamsin in November. Oh and Helen Nugent from The Times was having a great time in VIP, along with Georgina Pattinson from BBC.co.uk whom, when she last wrote about an online networking client of us (BeautifulPeople.net), generated 9,000 hits for our client in one day. Pretty good contacts, don't you think? But as you don't know them, we thought we'd introduce you to them on this email; as we always like to help people out in PR here at Golden Goose...it's a pretty sad, bitchy industry when you don't, wouldn't you say?
As for Dave Benett...it's a shame he didn't get a lead picture for today's Diary, but Tam - he had a fabulous time and your picture has also made a story in today's London Paper with a great plug for the Supper Club..Zoe Griffin is very kindly posting us a copy for you now.
Regarding celebrities..well, I don't recall that the Supper Club was meant to be about celebrities? It's about a calibre of person whom you get to meet at the most brilliant soiree. I think last night ticked every box. I don't know if Borkowski solely regards celebrity attendance or celebrity association as the epitome of a campaign's success; but at Golden Goose PR we look at what we've generated in terms of column inches, brand identity and revenue for our client's business. Daily Candy, OK! Mag and London Lite pieces which ran even before the party started yesterday were only the beginning.
Anyway, I'm way too busy to write about all the other pieces of editorial we're working on as my phone is going and people are asking for pictures....
I suggest, Adrienne, that you get back to doing your job too.
Have a lovely weekend everyone,
Miki xxx
And, as Miki pointed out in her email, she copied it to quite a few of the highly influential journalists who were at the event…a number of which decide to provide their own comments, including Katie Hind from London Lite…
I thought that Golden Goose were fantastic last night. They never fail to help me out when I need a favour and this, quite often leads to fabulous coverage for their clients.
…and Zoe Griffin at the London Paper:
I also thought that the event was well organised and that the girls threw a fabulous party. Rather than inviting C-list celebrities that don’t fit with the image of the brand, they made the wise decision to have people who were influential in London and who would want to join Tamsin’s club.
So that’s Adrienne told. Still, she gets the last word:
I see you fantastically out bitched me! A true pro. I have much to learn. Sigh.
Thanks for the advice
Adrienne
It's quieter where we are, but we like it that way...
Goose: beautiful, elegant creature…but make it angry and it’ll have your eyes out. Just ask Adrienne Merrill, Business Development Director at Borkowski PR.
Adrienne, you see, used to do a bit of freelance work for ‘Tamsin’, who is now – as head honcho of The Supper Club (which we think is this) - a client of consumer PR shop Golden Goose (which, we note, is nominated in the best new consultancy category at the PR Week Awards).
Following things so far? So here we go…it’s a bit of a long one, but it’s Friday afternoon and you’ve got nothing else on, right?
OK, so Golden Goose organised a press event for The Supper Club last night, and Adrienne went along. Today, she decided to email her ex-client Tamsin telling her what she thought of the event and, in particular, Golden Goose. This is what she said (under the email title, “Great fun!”):
We all had such a great time last night, fantastic entertainment & drinks and music by the DJ was brilliant – we all danced until out feet hurt!!!
As for the PR from Golden Goose – well - the celebrity attendance was what……zero? Oh no, let me think now, oh yes Syed (the one that didn't even come second in what was that show, The Apprentice?) he was there.
And journalists, well now, I did have a pretty full house crack team of publicists with me try as we might to spot one, well I think it was what…zero? Oh, no, wrong again, Chris Sullivan was there. He did let slip to me though that he only popped in to see Mick (the lovely promoter) and he's not exactly a target writer for the Supper Club.
We all make mistakes.
Addi xxx
Which isn’t very nice is it? You might event think she was doing it to try and pinch Golden Goose’s client. Which then doesn’t make it a very good idea to copy the email to a member of the Golden Goose team…who, understandably, felt the need to forward it to her boss and Golden Goose joint-MD Miki Watson.
Miki gives Adrienne both barrels:
Dear Adrienne,
We're delighted that you enjoyed last night's Supper Club party; it was fabulous wasn't it!
I'm terribly sorry that you obviously don't know your media well enough to recognise some of the UK's most influential press by face. We were looking after Esther Walker from the Evening Standard, arranging a photograph feature for Karen Stretch at the Mail on Sunday Live Magazine, introducing some of our guests to Louise Hannah from the Mail on Sunday, arranging a 'date' with one of the country's most well known jockeys that is being written about by Katie Hind in the London Lite and entertaining the GQ editorial team who are writing about Tamsin in November. Oh and Helen Nugent from The Times was having a great time in VIP, along with Georgina Pattinson from BBC.co.uk whom, when she last wrote about an online networking client of us (BeautifulPeople.net), generated 9,000 hits for our client in one day. Pretty good contacts, don't you think? But as you don't know them, we thought we'd introduce you to them on this email; as we always like to help people out in PR here at Golden Goose...it's a pretty sad, bitchy industry when you don't, wouldn't you say?
As for Dave Benett...it's a shame he didn't get a lead picture for today's Diary, but Tam - he had a fabulous time and your picture has also made a story in today's London Paper with a great plug for the Supper Club..Zoe Griffin is very kindly posting us a copy for you now.
Regarding celebrities..well, I don't recall that the Supper Club was meant to be about celebrities? It's about a calibre of person whom you get to meet at the most brilliant soiree. I think last night ticked every box. I don't know if Borkowski solely regards celebrity attendance or celebrity association as the epitome of a campaign's success; but at Golden Goose PR we look at what we've generated in terms of column inches, brand identity and revenue for our client's business. Daily Candy, OK! Mag and London Lite pieces which ran even before the party started yesterday were only the beginning.
Anyway, I'm way too busy to write about all the other pieces of editorial we're working on as my phone is going and people are asking for pictures....
I suggest, Adrienne, that you get back to doing your job too.
Have a lovely weekend everyone,
Miki xxx
And, as Miki pointed out in her email, she copied it to quite a few of the highly influential journalists who were at the event…a number of which decide to provide their own comments, including Katie Hind from London Lite…
I thought that Golden Goose were fantastic last night. They never fail to help me out when I need a favour and this, quite often leads to fabulous coverage for their clients.
…and Zoe Griffin at the London Paper:
I also thought that the event was well organised and that the girls threw a fabulous party. Rather than inviting C-list celebrities that don’t fit with the image of the brand, they made the wise decision to have people who were influential in London and who would want to join Tamsin’s club.
So that’s Adrienne told. Still, she gets the last word:
I see you fantastically out bitched me! A true pro. I have much to learn. Sigh.
Thanks for the advice
Adrienne
It's quieter where we are, but we like it that way...
28 September 2006
Fly me to the moon...
The BBC is reporting that Richard Branson has unveiled a mock-up of the Virgin spacecraft.
I've got to admit that I'm a bit cynical about all this public space travel malarkey...will people really want to be blasted off into space? Is there a market for it? How safe will it be? Or is it just another Virgin PR stunt?
Still, if the Beeb's reporting then it's got some credibility...and if Branson's billions are behind it, then I imagine it'll be a solid and serious effort.
Click here to see the mock-up. Quite something, isn't it?
The BBC is reporting that Richard Branson has unveiled a mock-up of the Virgin spacecraft.
I've got to admit that I'm a bit cynical about all this public space travel malarkey...will people really want to be blasted off into space? Is there a market for it? How safe will it be? Or is it just another Virgin PR stunt?
Still, if the Beeb's reporting then it's got some credibility...and if Branson's billions are behind it, then I imagine it'll be a solid and serious effort.
Click here to see the mock-up. Quite something, isn't it?
Ch, ch, ch, ch, changes...
So if only a few months ago you'd topped the PR Week Top 50 Tech Agencies league table, what would you do?
That's right...you'd move offices and change the company name.
Which is exactly what our buddies down at Write-Image are doing. From Monday next week, they'll be residing in swanky new premises on St Martin's Lane and calling themselves Metia.
Metia? What's that?
Well, it's a place in Mozambique, that's what. Or (possibly of slightly more relevance) the Metia Framework is "A Generalized Metadata Driven Framework for the Management and Distribution of Electronic Media" (but you already knew that, didn't you?).
Ooooh, get them. How very "moderne"; how very "2.0".
There's a new logo too...looks like an orange teardrop. Click here to see the funky little animation.
So if only a few months ago you'd topped the PR Week Top 50 Tech Agencies league table, what would you do?
That's right...you'd move offices and change the company name.
Which is exactly what our buddies down at Write-Image are doing. From Monday next week, they'll be residing in swanky new premises on St Martin's Lane and calling themselves Metia.
Metia? What's that?
Well, it's a place in Mozambique, that's what. Or (possibly of slightly more relevance) the Metia Framework is "A Generalized Metadata Driven Framework for the Management and Distribution of Electronic Media" (but you already knew that, didn't you?).
Ooooh, get them. How very "moderne"; how very "2.0".
There's a new logo too...looks like an orange teardrop. Click here to see the funky little animation.
There's a spring in my step this morning...
Why? Because I've got some stuff off my chest...a few things that have been bothering me for quite some time. And you could too, thanks to the gorgeous Amanda Chapel over at Strumpette.
Amanda's established the first ever PR confessional, and I reckon it could run and run...confessions that have already been, well, confessed, include:
"I haven't had a creative idea since 1994. OK - so that's not much to confess, perhaps - but I've been compensating for my idea drought by presenting EXACTLY the same plan outline and new business proposal to every single client I've pitched in the last 12 years."
"I bill for 8 hours of work a day, but really only do about 2."
"Forgive me Father for I have a new client that I hate so much that I spend countless hours plotting ways to make him look bad. I recently sent his boss the gift of an online porn subscription on his behalf and my only regret was that I didn't send a dildo instead."
Wonderful stuff...confess today and you're free to commit PR sins anew.
Why? Because I've got some stuff off my chest...a few things that have been bothering me for quite some time. And you could too, thanks to the gorgeous Amanda Chapel over at Strumpette.
Amanda's established the first ever PR confessional, and I reckon it could run and run...confessions that have already been, well, confessed, include:
"I haven't had a creative idea since 1994. OK - so that's not much to confess, perhaps - but I've been compensating for my idea drought by presenting EXACTLY the same plan outline and new business proposal to every single client I've pitched in the last 12 years."
"I bill for 8 hours of work a day, but really only do about 2."
"Forgive me Father for I have a new client that I hate so much that I spend countless hours plotting ways to make him look bad. I recently sent his boss the gift of an online porn subscription on his behalf and my only regret was that I didn't send a dildo instead."
Wonderful stuff...confess today and you're free to commit PR sins anew.
27 September 2006
And most of all, my parents...
So, Lewis PR picked up the gong for UK Technology PR Campaign of the Year at last night's CNET Networks Awards for its Salesforce.com campaign. Hard to argue, really...it's all over the place.
Congrats to Lewis, commiserations to those left blubbing into their bubbly, which were Carrot, Octopus, Cohn & Wolfe, Rainier, Brands2Life and Banner, which must have been particularly galling for its Chairman and CEO Rod (Roderick!) Banner, as he was one of the judges.
So, Lewis PR picked up the gong for UK Technology PR Campaign of the Year at last night's CNET Networks Awards for its Salesforce.com campaign. Hard to argue, really...it's all over the place.
Congrats to Lewis, commiserations to those left blubbing into their bubbly, which were Carrot, Octopus, Cohn & Wolfe, Rainier, Brands2Life and Banner, which must have been particularly galling for its Chairman and CEO Rod (Roderick!) Banner, as he was one of the judges.
Nowhere to run, baby, nowhere to hide…
I see that Tim Dyson, CEO of the Next Fifteen Group, and Aedhmar Hynes, CEO of Tim’s Group’s biggest brand Text 100, have both been blogging about the same subject; how the ability to store and share video will impact organisations’ and individuals’ reputation management. Tim thinks it’s great that every speech that’s ever made by a company exec will be there to see for ever and ever; Aedhmar is more cautious.
We, of course, think it’s brilliant, as there’ll be plenty of opportunity to see overpaid, overweight, self-important execs taken to task over their performance and pay packets. Some of them might even trip over or spill water everywhere, which would be ace.
But what will be especially cool is when all these videos get tied together through video hyperlinks, like I’ve just read about in the Economist (you’ll need a subscription but if you haven’t got one, what the hell are you thinking about?). Basically, what’ll happen is that when you’re watching a video, certain aspects will be highlighted and you’ll be able to click on them to be taken to a related video or other information…just like static webpages today.
Brilliant, eh? Just think, you’re watching a video of some CEO chuntering on about how he’s laying off thousands of unfortunate employees and suddenly his underwear combusts! Click on the flaming pants to be taken to another video to see the same fatcat telling us last week how he didn’t foresee any redundancies taking place in the near future.
Now that’s the kind of reality TV we like.
I see that Tim Dyson, CEO of the Next Fifteen Group, and Aedhmar Hynes, CEO of Tim’s Group’s biggest brand Text 100, have both been blogging about the same subject; how the ability to store and share video will impact organisations’ and individuals’ reputation management. Tim thinks it’s great that every speech that’s ever made by a company exec will be there to see for ever and ever; Aedhmar is more cautious.
We, of course, think it’s brilliant, as there’ll be plenty of opportunity to see overpaid, overweight, self-important execs taken to task over their performance and pay packets. Some of them might even trip over or spill water everywhere, which would be ace.
But what will be especially cool is when all these videos get tied together through video hyperlinks, like I’ve just read about in the Economist (you’ll need a subscription but if you haven’t got one, what the hell are you thinking about?). Basically, what’ll happen is that when you’re watching a video, certain aspects will be highlighted and you’ll be able to click on them to be taken to a related video or other information…just like static webpages today.
Brilliant, eh? Just think, you’re watching a video of some CEO chuntering on about how he’s laying off thousands of unfortunate employees and suddenly his underwear combusts! Click on the flaming pants to be taken to another video to see the same fatcat telling us last week how he didn’t foresee any redundancies taking place in the near future.
Now that’s the kind of reality TV we like.
26 September 2006
There's a new agency in town...
...well, there is if your town's Reading. And when I say new I do, of course, really mean "rebranded bit of an old and fusty PR company". The omens are great though; it promises to deliver "PR with pizzazz" and says it's "sparkling with energy, excitement and enthusiasm" and lots of other "e" words like its name, which is Escapade.
In my dictionary, escapade is defined as "a reckless adventure or wild prank". Reckless? This lot? I don't think so. They've organised a brilliant launch party in Reading for Wednesday night. The venue's booked, catering's lined up, entertainment sorted, outfits chosen. Everything's sorted.
Guests? Eh? Oh fu*k!
So yesterday, only three days before canapé leftovers for weeks, Escapade gets the invitations out (or at least, that's when our source got his). Christ, it can take more than three days to get to Reading if the M4's a bit busy.
So if you're in the area on Wednesday night, help out with the undoubtedly free booze and get yourself down to lsq2 (yes, really, that's the name of a bar and brasserie...it's Australasian...what can you expect?). As its website says, "lsq2 is very easy to find. Head for the new Ecotricity wind turbine and we are within a stones throw from there". Can't bloody miss it then.
Still, the very best of luck to the sparkly Escapade team.
...well, there is if your town's Reading. And when I say new I do, of course, really mean "rebranded bit of an old and fusty PR company". The omens are great though; it promises to deliver "PR with pizzazz" and says it's "sparkling with energy, excitement and enthusiasm" and lots of other "e" words like its name, which is Escapade.
In my dictionary, escapade is defined as "a reckless adventure or wild prank". Reckless? This lot? I don't think so. They've organised a brilliant launch party in Reading for Wednesday night. The venue's booked, catering's lined up, entertainment sorted, outfits chosen. Everything's sorted.
Guests? Eh? Oh fu*k!
So yesterday, only three days before canapé leftovers for weeks, Escapade gets the invitations out (or at least, that's when our source got his). Christ, it can take more than three days to get to Reading if the M4's a bit busy.
So if you're in the area on Wednesday night, help out with the undoubtedly free booze and get yourself down to lsq2 (yes, really, that's the name of a bar and brasserie...it's Australasian...what can you expect?). As its website says, "lsq2 is very easy to find. Head for the new Ecotricity wind turbine and we are within a stones throw from there". Can't bloody miss it then.
Still, the very best of luck to the sparkly Escapade team.
25 September 2006
Green journalism….
With the exception of The Guardian, the national newspapers are pretty poor at covering technology stories. Even when an organisation has splashed out for an advertising-led ‘special report,’ the effort made is sub-minimal.
Witness The Times on Monday and its ‘Carbon Champions’ double page spread. Funded by the Carbon Trust, which is funded by tax-payers, all six articles are outsourced to the same freelancer. Standards are bound to slip when that much pressure is put on one person, and it seems they did.
One of the representatives of the "UK corporate leaders group on climate change," Richard Barrington, talks of there being two CEOs in the future. One is the traditional CEO, the other is a chief energy officer.
If that hasn’t got "cheap PR soundbite” written all over it, check out the follow-on quote: “Barrington says that the UK could reduce CO² emissions by 3 million tons simply by persuading government departments to replace millions of energy-consuming PCs with “thin clients”, simpler machines with access to shared services, which is all many civil servants require.”
Richard Barrington’s day job? Working at Sun Microsystems flogging thin clients….
With the exception of The Guardian, the national newspapers are pretty poor at covering technology stories. Even when an organisation has splashed out for an advertising-led ‘special report,’ the effort made is sub-minimal.
Witness The Times on Monday and its ‘Carbon Champions’ double page spread. Funded by the Carbon Trust, which is funded by tax-payers, all six articles are outsourced to the same freelancer. Standards are bound to slip when that much pressure is put on one person, and it seems they did.
One of the representatives of the "UK corporate leaders group on climate change," Richard Barrington, talks of there being two CEOs in the future. One is the traditional CEO, the other is a chief energy officer.
If that hasn’t got "cheap PR soundbite” written all over it, check out the follow-on quote: “Barrington says that the UK could reduce CO² emissions by 3 million tons simply by persuading government departments to replace millions of energy-consuming PCs with “thin clients”, simpler machines with access to shared services, which is all many civil servants require.”
Richard Barrington’s day job? Working at Sun Microsystems flogging thin clients….
Web 0.9...
Back when TWL was a mere nipper, we posted about the seemingly endless wait for the new website from Inferno PR. That was four months ago, and the holding page had been up for a good few months by then...so it's fair to say that it's been a year or so since Inferno has had a web presence.
Well, worry not, my little chickadees, the wait is over! Late last week the new Inferno PR website appeared. And, we'll sure you'll agree, it's been worth the wait....and the need for such and extraordinary development time is clear to see.
There's the flashy, umm, animations at the...ah, oh no, there isn't, is there? Well, what about the funky streamed, erm, videoy thingamy...no, that's not there either, is it? Well, at least there must be a blog...everyone's got a blog these days, haven't they? Here it is...no...over here then...nope, can't see it there...here? Oh.
Maybe it's a retro website? Or, given the colour, possibly just budget?
Perhaps Inferno should've had a chat with newly-independent of sister-agency Bite Bullet Online? PR Week tells us that Bullet MD Alex Shaw has undertaken a one-man MBO of "three-strong Bullet" (which, after five years plus of operations seems a little, umm, 'under achieving') and that the company "expects to work with PR agencies outside Bite's parent company Next Fifteen." Shaw says that he and his team are "champing at the bit".
Looking at his picture, he's certainly been champing at something.
Shaw here, pies gone
Back when TWL was a mere nipper, we posted about the seemingly endless wait for the new website from Inferno PR. That was four months ago, and the holding page had been up for a good few months by then...so it's fair to say that it's been a year or so since Inferno has had a web presence.
Well, worry not, my little chickadees, the wait is over! Late last week the new Inferno PR website appeared. And, we'll sure you'll agree, it's been worth the wait....and the need for such and extraordinary development time is clear to see.
There's the flashy, umm, animations at the...ah, oh no, there isn't, is there? Well, what about the funky streamed, erm, videoy thingamy...no, that's not there either, is it? Well, at least there must be a blog...everyone's got a blog these days, haven't they? Here it is...no...over here then...nope, can't see it there...here? Oh.
Maybe it's a retro website? Or, given the colour, possibly just budget?
Perhaps Inferno should've had a chat with newly-independent of sister-agency Bite Bullet Online? PR Week tells us that Bullet MD Alex Shaw has undertaken a one-man MBO of "three-strong Bullet" (which, after five years plus of operations seems a little, umm, 'under achieving') and that the company "expects to work with PR agencies outside Bite's parent company Next Fifteen." Shaw says that he and his team are "champing at the bit".
Looking at his picture, he's certainly been champing at something.
Shaw here, pies gone
24 September 2006
Rumbled….
It was fun while it lasted, but we’ve been rumbled. An email from Ali Mohamed arrived, followed by one from Dr Jasir Kelsi.
Ali Mohamed works in the Bill and Exchange department of Bank of Africa, based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and recently discovered an abandoned sum of $11.3m. He kindly tracked down the anonymous TWL and asked for our account details so he could share this abandoned figure with us. As we were about to send our reply we suddenly remembered the equally enticing offer from PR Week and thought that maybe it was a clever bluff.
Dr Jasir Kelsi was in touch shortly after, having discovered an abandoned $20.5m while carrying out his day-to-day duties in the auditing and accounting department of Bank of Africa, based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. His email even included a link to a BBC news page (no link provided for obvious reasons) as proof of the terrible accident that had killed the original owner of the money and all his family, leaving the cash available to any gullible, er lucky, claimant.
Once again, although almost taken in, we eventually decided that this might not be 100 per cent true. Our hopes lifted briefly based on the CIA World Fact Book pointing out that Burkina Faso’s “industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations,” which would explain all this cash hanging around in various departments of the national bank, but we still played it safe.
Similarly we had suspicions about emails from VIP Casino, the Euro Millions and the National Lottery of, yep, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on the basis that we never entered those competitions (not as TWL at least, anyway).
So, we’ve been rumbled. It’s spam city in our in-box. Bloody internet, full of faceless wide-boys causing trouble. But it did put us in mind of Will Sturgeon’s classic investigation into 419 scams….
It was fun while it lasted, but we’ve been rumbled. An email from Ali Mohamed arrived, followed by one from Dr Jasir Kelsi.
Ali Mohamed works in the Bill and Exchange department of Bank of Africa, based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and recently discovered an abandoned sum of $11.3m. He kindly tracked down the anonymous TWL and asked for our account details so he could share this abandoned figure with us. As we were about to send our reply we suddenly remembered the equally enticing offer from PR Week and thought that maybe it was a clever bluff.
Dr Jasir Kelsi was in touch shortly after, having discovered an abandoned $20.5m while carrying out his day-to-day duties in the auditing and accounting department of Bank of Africa, based in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso. His email even included a link to a BBC news page (no link provided for obvious reasons) as proof of the terrible accident that had killed the original owner of the money and all his family, leaving the cash available to any gullible, er lucky, claimant.
Once again, although almost taken in, we eventually decided that this might not be 100 per cent true. Our hopes lifted briefly based on the CIA World Fact Book pointing out that Burkina Faso’s “industry remains dominated by unprofitable government-controlled corporations,” which would explain all this cash hanging around in various departments of the national bank, but we still played it safe.
Similarly we had suspicions about emails from VIP Casino, the Euro Millions and the National Lottery of, yep, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso on the basis that we never entered those competitions (not as TWL at least, anyway).
So, we’ve been rumbled. It’s spam city in our in-box. Bloody internet, full of faceless wide-boys causing trouble. But it did put us in mind of Will Sturgeon’s classic investigation into 419 scams….
21 September 2006
It’s my party and I’ll cry if I want to…
Isn’t it a pain when you go to a party and someone else is there in exactly the same outfit? You just have to laugh at the coincidence as the prickly heat of humiliation creeps up your neck.
But how about when you arrange a party and someone upstairs is having a much better party at the same time? I wonder how that feels?
Well, you could ask Edelman client dotMobi, which no doubt thought itself the height of cool in organising a press party last night at London’s Century Club, only to discover that upstairs a certain Mrs Gordon Ramsey was celebrating something or other (her reflected glory?) with all of her hubby’s celebrity mates.
We’re told that more than one person decided to duck out of DotMobi’s dull do and sneak their way into the Ramsey love-in…and were surprised to see one particular celebrity getting stuck in while his colleague and mate was battling for his life in a Leeds hospital.
Yes, that’s right…only hours after telling the BBC – apparently from close to Dickie Hammond's bedside – that Hammond and his family were "the most important concerns we have", Clarkson clearly found himself rather more concerned with the canapés, bubbly and what ever else was on offer at the Century Club (Top Gear?).
Isn’t it a pain when you go to a party and someone else is there in exactly the same outfit? You just have to laugh at the coincidence as the prickly heat of humiliation creeps up your neck.
But how about when you arrange a party and someone upstairs is having a much better party at the same time? I wonder how that feels?
Well, you could ask Edelman client dotMobi, which no doubt thought itself the height of cool in organising a press party last night at London’s Century Club, only to discover that upstairs a certain Mrs Gordon Ramsey was celebrating something or other (her reflected glory?) with all of her hubby’s celebrity mates.
We’re told that more than one person decided to duck out of DotMobi’s dull do and sneak their way into the Ramsey love-in…and were surprised to see one particular celebrity getting stuck in while his colleague and mate was battling for his life in a Leeds hospital.
Yes, that’s right…only hours after telling the BBC – apparently from close to Dickie Hammond's bedside – that Hammond and his family were "the most important concerns we have", Clarkson clearly found himself rather more concerned with the canapés, bubbly and what ever else was on offer at the Century Club (Top Gear?).
19 September 2006
'ello mate...
'ello Danny.
I'm not sure how, but I'd failed to notice that Danny Bradbury is blogging. And better than that, he's having a go at PR people...here he is chastising someone for having the temerity to contact him regarding a feature on deadline day (post headline: "Oh, for the love of Christ"):
"The feature had been displayed on my online features list for about a month, and colleagues in this PR person’s company received email about it via my automated system as soon as it was posted. The information, in short, has been in that organisation for a long time. So doing this makes a PR exec (and their company) look incompetent. Who’s training these people?"
Ouch. Still, he doesn't go as far as naming the person or, indeed, the company involved, though he does drop a hint:
"This is the same large PR company that recently decided to ‘break new ground’ and start up a virtual press office in Second Life. Very innovative, but while it’s out messing around with avatars, virtual reality and all that jazz, it’s missing real-world press opportunities for its clients, who are presumably paying it a lot of money for the privilege."
I can't work it out...can you, dear viewer?
'ello Danny.
I'm not sure how, but I'd failed to notice that Danny Bradbury is blogging. And better than that, he's having a go at PR people...here he is chastising someone for having the temerity to contact him regarding a feature on deadline day (post headline: "Oh, for the love of Christ"):
"The feature had been displayed on my online features list for about a month, and colleagues in this PR person’s company received email about it via my automated system as soon as it was posted. The information, in short, has been in that organisation for a long time. So doing this makes a PR exec (and their company) look incompetent. Who’s training these people?"
Ouch. Still, he doesn't go as far as naming the person or, indeed, the company involved, though he does drop a hint:
"This is the same large PR company that recently decided to ‘break new ground’ and start up a virtual press office in Second Life. Very innovative, but while it’s out messing around with avatars, virtual reality and all that jazz, it’s missing real-world press opportunities for its clients, who are presumably paying it a lot of money for the privilege."
I can't work it out...can you, dear viewer?
16 September 2006
Ah, how sweet….
“AVEVA Group plc, one of the world's leading providers of engineering data and design IT systems….”
More hard core reporting from SiliconFen Business Report….
“AVEVA Group plc, one of the world's leading providers of engineering data and design IT systems….”
More hard core reporting from SiliconFen Business Report….
15 September 2006
Loose-bladdered, BBC extra, mobile industry hunk...
Is there no end to this man's...ummm...talent? Following his appearance detailed below on Click Online, Gareth Davies - member of Edelman's tech team (part-time, I imagine, judging by all the other stuff he gets up to...) - also appears as a 'hunk' in Fone!, the UK's "innovative and audacious" mobile trade weekly.
Here's the evidence...if I was Stuart Smith, I'd be asking some serious questions...
Is there no end to this man's...ummm...talent? Following his appearance detailed below on Click Online, Gareth Davies - member of Edelman's tech team (part-time, I imagine, judging by all the other stuff he gets up to...) - also appears as a 'hunk' in Fone!, the UK's "innovative and audacious" mobile trade weekly.
Here's the evidence...if I was Stuart Smith, I'd be asking some serious questions...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
